How to Dress for Snowy Days

In honor of the first snowfall of the year here at Mount Holyoke, I thought I would write a post on how to dress for these chilly days.  The fact is, no matter where you are in New England, the winter weather is officially here to stay!  However, keeping warm doesn’t have to mean compromising your style!

Most girls own a pair or two of leggings.  These can be great for snow days.  If you have them, now is the time to break out the thickest pair of leggings you own.  (The ones made of knit wool are the best if you’re someone who gets cold extra easily!)  Leggings are great because they conform to your body, and are therefore super easy to tuck into your snow boots.  I know that personally, my snow boots are too narrow to tuck my jeans into. (Unless you wear the super-skinny style, most jeans will present this problem).  So leggings present a great alternative to pair with boots.  Be sure to wear an extra long shirt or tunic with your leggings.  Remember: leggings are not pants.  You do need to cover your butt!  Wearing a boy’s button-down or t-shirt is a chic way to make sure you’re properly covered.  Stores like H&M often have great deals on basic pieces like these, so picking one up to wear with your leggings shouldn’t set you back much, especially with this week’s extended Black Friday deals.  Once you have the basic pieces of this snow day outfit, you can easily accessorize with cute (and warm!) scarves and hats as well as jewelry to really make the look your own.  If you want to stick to the “snow bunny” look, keep your hat and scarf classic (think a simple knit wool scarf and knit hat).  If you’re more edgy, you can add statement pieces like a studded necklace or bracelet and a dark-colored hat and scarf.  Perhaps you can even find something in a skull pattern!  That said, if edgy isn’t your thing, you can go funky by adding chunky, colorful jewelry and a Navajo-print scarf and hat.  There is also the option of wearing a white or pink hat and scarf and adding nothing but a simple diamond or pendant necklace and pearl earrings.  This combination will come across as classic and girly.

If for some reason leggings aren’t your thing, there is also the option of wearing tights.  If you do choose tights, please remember to make sure they are made out of a fairly substantial material (i.e.- something knit).  You don’t want to freeze!  Tights, like leggings, are a great choice primarily because they tuck right into your boots without the uncomfortable bunching of extra material that is often a problem with jeans.  You can feel free to pair your tights with almost anything—a dress, a tunic, an (extra, extra long) boy’s button-down, or even a pair of shorts with a t-shirt.  If you’re wearing shorts or a more summery dress/tunic, I would highly suggest throwing on a sweater in addition to your winter jacket.  New England cold really goes right through you, so you’ll want to stay toasty by wearing as many layers as possible.  Remember: if you’re too warm, you can always take a layer off and stow it in your bag, but as a college student who probably walks everywhere, you don’t want to realize too late that you’re too cold.

Finally, I also want to address the issue that many girls face of having to pull together an outfit quickly in the morning.  If you are really pressed for time, it’s a great idea to create a wardrobe that sticks to only one or two styles.  That way, whatever you put on will pair well with almost anything else you reach for.  It’s much easier to speed through those get-ready-quick mornings that get even more hectic with winter-weather-related issues when you don’t have to spend an hour puzzling over the cohesion of your outfit.  If you keep these tips in mind as the full force of winter descends on New England, you can stay warm and stylish without a lot of effort at all!  Happy Snowy Days!